Fire extinguisher



L. C. LOEWENSTEIN FIRE EXTINGUISHE'R Filed Sept. 15, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet1 INVENTOR Dec. l0, 1935.

L. C. LOEWENSTEIN FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed sept. 15, 193s 5 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTOR Deca i0, 1935-.I

L. c. LoEwx-:NsTElN 2,023,848

FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Sept. 15, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORPatented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 26 Claims.

My invention relates to thefinstallation of an automatic re extinguisherin alighting fixture.

Certain types of automatic lire extinguishers are installed on theceilings or on the Walls of rooms. They consist of a glass containerhold.- ing a liquid fire quenching medium and an automatic means forbreaking the glass container and releasing the lire quenchingmediurnwhen the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere has exceeded apredetermined amount.

For purposes of illustration, I shall chiefly conne myself to carbontetrachloride as a fire quenching medium, although other Well known requenching liquids can b|e used. I have chosen carbon tetrachloridebecause it is admirably suited for fire quenching purposes and becauseit is inexpensive. Carbon tetrachloride will not damage or stainfabrics, will not remove the nish on furniture and will not rust metalparts. It will evaporate quickly at a temperature of 170 F., and itsvapor has a volume several hundred times its volume as a liquid.Moreover, the index of refraction of carbon tetrachloride is such thatit adds to the light value when the rays of light pass through thecontainer near the source of light.

There are a number of automatic means for breaking the glass containerwhen the surrounding atmosphere has reached a certain predeterminedtemperature. One of these means consists of a spring-actuated hammer ora springactuated plunger, held normally. in a spring-tensioned positionby means of a link held integral by a fusible solder. When thesurrounding atmosphere rises to a predetermined amount above.

the normal room temperature, say to 135 F., the fusible solder melts andreleases the springstressed hammer or plunger and allows it to strikeand break the glass container holding the lire quenching medium-in mycase the carbon tetra.- chloride. Another automatic means for breakingthe glass container consists of a bellows type of sylphon diaphragm.This sylphon diaphragm contains alcohol, ether, or other liquids highlyvolatile at low temperatures. When the alcohol or ether is heated, sayto 135 F., it expands the bellows of the sylphon diaphragm. If one endof the sylphon diaphragm is held stationary and the. other end moves dueto the expansion. of the bel` lows, it can be made to press against the.glass container sumciently to break it as soon as the surrounding airteniperaturey exceeds, say 135. F.

When the glass container is broken, the carbon tetrachloride drops tothe floor, and the heat oftheroom changes it` froma liquid form to aheavy vapor form which spreads throughout the room and robs the burningmaterial of the oxygen in the air, and in this manner chokes or quenchesthe fire.

I have found in moderate sized rooms, having V moderate height ceilings,that at least 30 cubic inches of liquid carbon tetrachloride areVrequired to give fire protection to about 100 square feet of floorspace. This necessitates spacingv the carbon tetrachloride containers,holding 30 cubic 10 inches, or about a pint of liquid, when suspendedfrom the ceiling for fire protection, at a distancev of ,10 feet apart.In rooms having many Windowsr or doors, more than 30 cubic inches ofliquidcarbon tetrachloride should be used when the'conl5 tainers arespaced 10 feet apart. The present tendency, however, is to keep thecontainers as small as possible, because even the small ones detractconsiderably from the artistic ordecorative effect of a room. In fact,whereas automatic fire 20.

extinguishers are installed in cellars, closetsat tics, kitchens, linenrooms,and storerooms, there is usually much opposition to installingthese automatic extinguishers in living rooms and the like,lbecause theusual type of fire extinguisher 25.

detracts considerably from the good appearance of the room.

I have found that most lightingV fixtures in rooms are installed notover 10 feet apart, and

that these fixtures are made as a part ofthe i90v decorative effect of aroom. I have. also found that by installing an automatic fireextinguishery within a lighting fixture, no sacrifice of artistic effectneed be made. In fact, the fire extinguisher can be made toA add to theartistic ap- Bf pearance of a lighting xture, and at the same time, inmost cases, secure for the lighting fixture, a better distribution oflight, as will be explained later. Besides this, the installationof anautomatic fire extinguisher in a lighting fixture per- 40 mits the useof much larger individual unitsv of nre extinguishers. This gives. anadditionalfactor of safety for re protection because a large carbontetrachloride container caneasily be made a part of ther decorativedesign of a lighting xture.

I have alsoV found that if the glass container is so designed, incombination with the lighting fixture, thatall or part of the light ismade to pass through this glass container, that is, also through theliquid carbon tetrachloride, there results a 50 Very pleasingV lightingeffect. The. index of refraction of liquid carbon tetrachloride is 1.46Whichis g-reaterthan water, the index of refraction of Water being 1.33.By passing the light throughy the. glass container holdingV theliquidilil` carbon tetrachloride, it is diffused and has the effect ofdoing away with the glare of the source of light. It therefore gives abetter distribution of light and hence adds to the illuminatingeffectiveness of the lighting xture. This better distribution of lightdoes away with the necessity of using specially designed and expensiveglass globes, now so commonly used for securing this better distributionof light. The glass container holding the fire extinguishing fluid canbe made of either transparent or translucent glass, depending uponthedecorative or lighting eiTect desired. The liquid iire quenching medium,(in my oase the carbon tetrachloride), may also be dyed by various colordyes in order to secure artistic coloring eiects.

Placing the automatic fire extinguisher in a lighting xture givesanother important advantage to the prompt functioning' of the iire exetinguisher. When the lighting xture in a room is illuminated, the sourceof light produces heat. This heat rises vtowards the ceiling and createsa draft of air from various parts of the room towards the lightingiixture where the air is heated and conducted upwards from the lightingiixture. In the event of re, the air heated by the re follows thenatural currents of air towards the lighting xture and therebynecessarily surrounds the fusible link, or other functioning means, ofthe automatic re extinguisher. Thus, the air heated by the re is morequickly brought to the fusible link, or other heat sensitive element,and therefore assists in having the temperature of the fusible link, orother functioning means, more quickly brought to its operatingtemperature. Hence, the automatic rire extinguisher will function morepromptly when installed in a lighting xture, when the latter is lit,than if installed separately and away from the lighting xture as is themethod now used.

An object of my invention is to have an automatic fire extinguisher soinstalled in a lighting iixture that there is no sacrice of artisticeffect when placed in a room.

Another object of my invention is the ease with which large capacityfire extinguisher units can be used without detracting from thedecorative or architectural eiect of the room.

Furthermore, the invention contemplates improving the light distributionof the lighting fixture by having the light rst pass through a liquidfire quenching medium.

The invention also contemplates improving the artistic illuminatingeffects of the lighting xture by coloring the liquid re quenching mediumthrough which the light passes, and in this manner, securing moreartistic coloring effects than can be secured by the usual coloring ofan incandescent electric bulb, or by coloring the lighting xture globe.

Another object of my invention is the additional re protection obtainedthrough the more prompt functioning of the automatic i'lre extinguisherdue to itsv being installed in a lighting iixture, which facilitates thecirculation of the heated air from a re t-owards the fusible link, orother functioning means of the re extinguisher.

For a more detailed understanding of my invention, reference. is to bemade to the following description, and the accompanying drawings ofpractical embodiments of the inventive idea. and in which drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a combination of Va ceiling type oflighting fixture and an automatic re extinguisher, in which the glasscontainer of the re quenching medium is also used as the globe of thelighting fixture; and in which a spring-actuated hammer is the means forbreaking the glass container.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the spring-actuated hammer with a fusiblelink, shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the spring-actuated hammer shown in Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fusible link shown in Figs. 1, 2 and3. 10 Fig. 5 is a sectional representation of a wall bracket type oflighting iixture combined with an automatic re extinguisher, in whichthe re quenching medium is contained in a hollow cylindrical glasscontainer surrounding the electric light bulb, and in which aspring-actuated plunger is the means for breaking the glass container.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the wall bracket type of lighting xture combinedwith an automatic re extinguisher of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional View, to an enlarged scale, of the spring-actuatedplunger shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a view partly in section of another embodiment or wall bracketlighting xture combined with an automatic re extinguisher in which theglass container holding the re extinguishing medium extends only partway around the electric light bulb and in which the means for breakingthis glass container is a bellows type of sylphon diaphragm.

Fig. 9 is a top View of Fig. 8 with the upper cover of Fig. 8 removed.

Referring to the ceiling type of lighting fixture and automatic ireextinguisher shown in Fig. l, the electric incandescent bulbs are shownat which are suspended as usual from a socket 2, hung by means of a tube3 from the ceiling. Mounted on a portion of the tube 3, is hanger 4 towhichl is attached the frame 5 for suspending the combination glassglobe and liquid re quenching container 6.

This glass container is carried by a number of retaining means such asspring clips 'I attached to the frame 5. The glass container 6 is filledwith a. iire quenching medium, as for example, carbon tetrachloride, upto a level shown at 8 so as to allow a small space within the containerabove this level for the expansion of the liquid with rise of roomtemperature. A ter the carbon tetrachloride has been poured into theglass container to the proper level through the lling teat 9, thisiilling teat is permanently sealed in the usual manner.

Extending vertically downward from the socket 2, is a rod IB securedinto socket 2 and passing through an opening II in the glass container.The bottom of this rod I8 is shown threaded so that carrying plate I2and hammer base plate I3 may be mounted thereon. Carrying plate I2 is sodesigned that its upper surface forms a support for the glass containerG, while its lower end supports the open grill work cover I4. The latteris fastened to the carrying plate I2 by means of a plurality of setscrews I5 equally spaced about the circumference of the cover I4. Theupper surface of carrying plate i2 is provided with suitably spacedapertures I G-I 6 so arranged that the spring-actuated hammer used forbreaking the glass container 6 can pass through one of these apertureswhen functioning to break the container.

The hammer base plate I3 is shown provided with ears I1.I 1, moreclearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and. 3, for the support of the hammershaft I8 which passes through bearings in theV ears to 75 hammersupporting plate I9.

securevshaft I8 in position. Locatedonshaft |8' is hammer supportingplate I9 which, in a pre-Y ferred embodiment of the invention, isshapedV as is clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. On the lower leaf ofthe hammer supporting plate- I9, is

mounted the hammer 20 which may consist of a conically pointed head andshank. 'I'he latter extends through hammer guide 2l and allows the shankof the hammer 2i] to move freely in the hammer guide, its total motionbeing limited by the stop pin 22'secured to the hammer shank andprojecting through 'a `slot in the hammer guide. The hammer and shank 20is made of a` non-l rusting material, such as brass,- so thatit will notrust tight in the steel guide 2I. The-guide 2I is securely mounted onthe lower leaf of the The-upper leaf of the hammer plate carries a blankexplosive cartridge 23, securely mounted on the upper leaf of the hammerplate I9. In this embodiment, the hammer actuating means is shown as acoil spring 24. This spring 24 extends around the hammer shaft I8 oneach side of the hammer plate I9, and its looped end presses against thehammer plate I9. The two free ends of the coil spring are shown held onthe hammerA base plate I3. The lower leaf of the hammer plate |91 isshown attached to o-ne end of a fusible link 25. 'Ihe other end of thelink engages the hammer base plate I3. The fusible link 25 is providedwith suitable retaining means, shown in Fig; '4 of the drawings as twosmall holes 25a, one on each end, which holes fit over notched pins 25hextending out from the hammer base plate I3 and the lower leaf of thehammer plate I9, thus keeping the hammer in the position shown in Fig. 2under the tension of the spring 24. The fusible link 25 may be of anydesired formation, and in Fig. 4 is shown consisting of two parts, anupper part anda lower part, held together by solder which is fusible ata predetermined temperature. When this solder fuses, it releases the twoparts of the fusible link and the spring-actuated hammer plate I9 andhammer 29 swing about their supporting shaft I8. This permits the hammer20 to strike the glass container 6 a blow sufficient to break it,thereby releasing the re quenching medium,- `carbon tetrachloride. InFig. 1, the hammer and hammer plate with cartridge are shown in dottedlines in their striking position. When the hammer 20 strikes the glasscontainer 6, its shank moves in the hammer guide 2| permitting the endof the hammer opposite the head to strike the blank cartridge 23 andexplode it, giving thereby an audible signal that the automatic meansfor breaking the glass container 5 has functioned.

It will be noted that the glass container 6 holding the re quenchingmedium 8 is supported, both at its upper and lower ends. The upper endis supported by the spring clips 1, while the lower end is supported bythe carrying plate I2 suspended on rod I9.

If a colored lighting effect is desired, the liquid i-lre quenchingmedium 8' may be colored by suitable dyes so as to give this coloredlighting effect when the light from the incandescent bulbs I is diffusedthrough the re quenching medium 8.

Fig. 5 illustrates a lighting fixture of the wall bracket type combinedwith an automatic fire extinguisher. The electric light bulb I iscarried in the usual manner on wall bracket 33v and its method ofsupport is not shownL completely in the drawings. The line 341m thedrawings represents the wall towhich-wall bracket 331 is fas-vv tened.The frame 35is` carried in the-wall bracket frame 33 and is used tosupport the glass container 28 with its liquid fire quenchingv medium29. The glass container 28 isshown hollow cy.-

lindrical in shape and surrounds the electric light 5l bulb I so thatthe light from this bulb first passes through the liquidfire quenchingmedium 29 and is properly refractecl before it is used.for-illumination. suitablymounted on frame` 35 is a hollow cylinder 35',as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in 10 which a spring-actuated plunger 31operates. The spring-actuatedplunger and its mechanism are shownmoreclearly and to al larger scale in Fig. 7. This plunger 31 acts as apiston in cylinder 35', the top end of the piston being conically 15pointed' as at 31a; The lower end of the-piston is in the form of ashank or rod 31h, and forms a support for the helical spring 38. Theplunger below its head, in the form of a rod 31h of smaller diameterthanthe head, passes Vthrough the bot- 20 tom of the cylinder-35 and hassecurely pinned to it at its lower end, a collar (I9` having a pluralityof projections 40, 49 thereon. 'Ihe protruding ribs 4I, 4I may beintegral with the cylinder 35.. The links 42, 42 are shown pivotallyconnected to 25 these ribs 4I,`and may have projectingr catches 43,43fto engage the sloping surfaces of the projections 49, 40 on thecollar 39 when they are in the normal position as shown in full linesinthe drawings.4 (See Fig. 7.) links 42- are shown secured by a fusiblelink 25 similar to the link shown in Fig; 4. The apertures near the ends of the fusible link t over notched pins 25h at the lower ends oflinks 42. The catches 43 engage projections 4B and there- 35 fore holdthe plunger inthe position shown in full lines in Fig. '1, in which thespring 38 is under compression. When the elements of the fusible link 25separate under the action of heat,

the links 42, 42 are thrown out to the position 40,

shown by dotted lines in Fig. '1 due to the spring load forcing thecatches 43 away from the sloping surface of projections 49. The plunger31 under spring tension flies upward to its dotted position shown inFig. '7 and in so doing strikes and 4,5l breaks the glass container 28,thereby releasing the liquid re quenching medium 29. Suitable washers 36are placed between the glass container 28`and frame 35.

The liquid fire quenching medium, which may 50` be colored if desired,is placed into the glass container up to the level as indicated,allowing a small space for heat expansion of the liquid. Fig. 8illustrates another embodiment of wall bracket lighting fixture combinedwith an auto- 55 matic fire extinguisher. The electric light bulb I iscarried in the usual manner on a wall bracket 44. The glass container28, holding the liquid re quenching medium 29, is supported at its upperend by the top cover 45. Suitable 60 washers 36, 36 are placed betweenthe glass container 28 and its supports. The top cover 45 may be held inposition by a plurality of tierods 4B which are carried by the wallbracket 44.

In this design the glass container 28lextends only 65.

part way, for example approximately 280, around the lighting bulb I, asis shown clearly in Fig. 9, the container 28 being omitted between the.lighting bulb I and the wall.

A bellows type of sylphon diaphragm 4.1i is 70 used as a means forbreaking'the glass container 28' when the surrounding air has reachedlapre-l determined temperature. This sylphon diaphragm 41 is supported atits lower end on a suitable. platform 44' which is` a partof the 75;

The lower end of the 30- Wall bracket 44. The upper end of the sylphondiaphragm is in the form of a pointed pin resting normally against thebottom of the glass container 28. Proper adjustments may be made to havethis pointed pin 41a normally touch the glass container 28 by insertingsuitable washers or liners between the bottom of the sylphon diaphragm4l and its supporting platform 44'. The bellows type of sylphcndiaphragm is of the Well known construction, and for the presentpurposes, contains a volatile liquid such as alcohol or ether, which ishermetically sealed within the sylphon diaphragm. With risingtemperature this volatile liquid in the sylphon diaphragm 41 vaporizesand increases in volume so as to force the bellows to expand and therebycauses the pointed pin 41a at the top of the bellows to break the glasscontainer 28 at a predetermined temperature and thereby release theliquid re quenching medium.

The use and mode of operation of the combined lighting xture withautomatic nre extinguisher is as follows:

When installed permanently in rooms, there is provided a larger glasscontainer lled with a liquid re quenching medium than would be usuallyprovided if the automatic fire extinguisher were installed separatelyfrom the lighting xture, because a separate automatic fire extinguisherdetracts greatly from the artistic appearance of ,the room even if theglass container holding the liquid re quenching medium is made small insize. The ability to have a larger quantity of fire quenching liquidadds to the fire protective security of the fire extinguisher.

When a re starts in a room protected by my automatic lire extinguisher,the air in the room is heated and rises upwards. When this heated airreaches av predetermined temperature, say to 140 F., it either melts thefusible link 25 which releases the spring-actuated hammer 20 (Figs. l,2, 3 and 4), or plunger 31 (Fig. 5), or expands the volatile liquid inthe sylphon diaphragm (Fig. 8). In any case, the glass container holdingthe liquid re quenching medium 8, 29 is broken. When the fusible link 25releases either the spring-actuated hammer 20 or plunger 31, it allowsthe hammer or plunger to strike the glass container a blow heavy enoughto break it. When the sylphon diaphragm 41 expands, it presses againstthe glass container 28 and breaks it.

The liquid re quenching mediumk upon being released drops towards thefloor and is quickly vaporized by the heated air in the room. This vaporis drawn towards the re by the air currents set up by the fire intheroom. As soon as the vapor surrounds the fire, it robs the burningmaterials of the oxygen in the air and thus quenches the re. It will benoted that the operation of the fire extinguishing mechanism does notprevent the ope-ration of the illuminating means. This feature will befound of great advantage in the event of conflagration.

The spring-actuated hammer shown in Fig. 1 can also have installed withit any suitable audible alarm, but in Fig. 2 the alarm is shown in theform of a cartridge 23. This cartridge explodes when the hammer 20strikes the glass container 5, or 28 by having the shank of the hammer2U act as a ring pin for the cartridge 23. In cases where it isdesirable to omit the cartridge, the hammer 2D need not be made to slidein guide 2l, but can be immovably attached to part 2|.

It will be noted that in all the embodiments of the invention hereindisclosed the lamp l is surrounded by a globe (6 or 28) having a bottomopening which may be partially closed by the grill I4 as in Figs. 1 and5, or may be left open as in Fig. 8. Also, in all embodiments the reextinguishing element is mounted in the path of air which may flowthrough the globe toward the lamp. 'As has been explained, thiscirculation of air tends to cause the automatic means to be affectedmore quickly by the heated air from the results of combustion adjacentthe xture. Furthermore it serves to retard the tendency of freezing ofthe fluid in exceedingly cold weather when the lamps are burning.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of operation of my invention together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodimentsthereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown isonly illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by othermeans.

What I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is,

1. The combination of a lighting fixture having an illuminating element,a container holding a liquid fire quenching medium surrounding theilluminating element, said container being constructed and arranged forthe passage of a substantial portion of the light from the illuminatingelement through it for direct illumination, and means located adjacentthe container for releasing said fire quenching medium by normallytending to fracture said container including a fusible link element fornormally preventing operation of said releasing means, said fusibleelement being rendered inoperative at a predetermined temperature, thesaid fusible element being placed below the said container and thelatter constructed and arranged to provide for passage of airsurrounding the fusible element to the illuminating element and throughthe container.

2. The combination of a lighting fixture having an illuminating element,a icontainer holding a fluid fire extinguishing medium surrounding theilluminating element of the lighting fixture and constructed andarranged for a substantial portion of the light to pass through thecontainer and its fluid, and automatic means responsive to apredetermined temperature to fracture the container.

3. In a lighting xture having an illuminating element, a glass containerholding a liquid fire quenching medium, said container being constructedand arranged for the passage of a substantial portion of the light fromthe illuminating element through it for direct illumination whereby thelight is refracted by the said liquid re quenching medium, and meansresponsive to a predetermined temperature to fracture said container.

4. In a lighting fixture, a fracturable container holding a fireextinguisher medium, and automatic means responsive to a predeterminedtemperature to fracture the container and release the fire extinguishermedium in the event of fire, the container serving both as the globe ofthe lighting fixture and as the holder of the fire extinguisher medium.

5. In a lighting fixture, an illuminating element, a fragile containerholding a fire extinguisher medium, characterized by arranging the reextinguisher medium container so as to surround the illuminating elementto permit most of the light from the element used for directillumination to pass through the container and its fluid extinguishermedium and automatic means responsive to a predetermined temperature tofracture said containerandrelease the re extinguisher medium.

6. In a lighting fixture having an illuminating element carrriedthereby, an arcuate fracturable container holding a re extinguishermedium partly surrounding the illuminating element and constructed andarranged for the passage of a substantial portion of the light used fordirect illumination through the container and its iire extinguishermedium, and automatic means to fracture the container and release thelire extinguisher medium when the temperature of the surroundingatmosphere exceeds a predetermined degree.

7. In a lighting xture having a lamp carried thereby, a fracturablecontainer holding a color tinted fire extinguisher fluid and constructedand arranged for the passage of a substantial portion of the lightthrough said container whereby the light is diffused and colored inpassing through the fluid in the container, and automatic meansresponsive to a vpredetermined temperature to release the iluid in theevent of a fire.

8. In a combination of a lighting fixture and an automatic fireextinguisher having a glass container holding a liquid fire quenchingmedium so constructed and arranged as to also serve as' the globe forthe lighting iixture and automatic means responsive to a predeterminedtemperature for breaking the container and releasing the fire quenchingmedium, said automatic meansl consisting of a sylphon diaphragm filledwith a low temperature volatile liquid so that at a predeterminedtemperature the volatile liquid creates pressure on the movable end ofthe diaphragm to break the glass container.

9. The combination of a lighting fixture having a lighting element, acontainer holding a liquid fire quenching medium, the container beingmounted to surround the lighting element whereby a substantial portionof the light used for direct illumination passes through the containerand whereby the heat of the lighting element isused to prevent freezingof the liquid fire quenching medium When the surrounding atmosphere hasreached a sufficiently low temperature to ordinarily freeze the liquidiire quenching medium, and means responsive to a predeterminedtemperature for releasing said liquid fire quenching medium from thecontainer.

l0. In a Wall bracket type of lighting fixture, a glass containerholding a liquid lre quenching medium, the container being so mountedthat the larger part of the light from the lighting fixture passesthrough the glass container and the fire quenching medium before thatlight is used for illuminating purposes, and means responsive to apredetermined temperature for breaking the glass container and releasingthe re quenching medium.

l1. In a ceiling type of lighting xture, an automatic fire extinguishermechanism installed thereon having a glass container holding the liquidfire quenching medium and so mounted on the xture that the larger partof the light from the lighting fixture used for direct illuminationpasses through the glass container and the fire quenching medium beforethe light is used for illuminating purposes, and means responsive to a,glass container and'releasing the fire quenching thereby, a fragilecontainer holding a fire extinguisher uid mounted adjacent the lamp andvconstructed and arranged for the passage of a substantial portion ofthe light rays of thevlamp through the container, and automatic means torelease the re extinguisher iiuid at a predetermined temperature, saidautomatic means comprising a spring-actuated plunger to break thecontainer and a heat sensitive element to maintain the plunger in apredetermined position until Ythe temperature of the surroundingatmosphere has reached a predetermined degree.

14. The combination of a lighting fixture, a

fragile container holding a fire quenching medium and constructed andarranged for the passage of a substantial portion of the light used fordirect illumination through the container, and automatic means to breakthe glass container to release the fire quenching medium, said meansincluding a fusible link and vspring-actuated hammer adapted to bereleased automatically when the temperature of the surrounding airseparates the members of said fusible link.

15. The combination of a lighting xture, a glass container holding a requenching medium and constructed and arranged for the passage of asubstantial portion ofthe light used for direct illumination through thecontainer, and automatic meansto break'the glass container to .releasethe re quenching medium, said means including a spring-actuated plungerheld under tension by a heat sensitive member, said plunger beingreleased automatically when the temperature of the air surrounding theheat sensitive member has reached a predetermined temperature.

16. The combination of a lighting fixture having an illuminatingelement, a glass container holding a re quenching medium through whichmost of the direct illumination of the lighting fixture passes, andautomatic means to break the glass container to release the iirequenching medium, said means including a heat sensitive element actuatedwhen the air surrounding the element has reached a predeterminedtemperature.

17. The combination of a lighting fixture, a lamp, and a glass containerholding a fire quenching medium surrounding the lamp and constructed andarranged for the pasasge of a portion of the light used for directillumination through the container, automatic means to break the glasscontainer to release the fire quenching medium when the surrounding airhas reached a predetermined temperature, and separate means to give anaudible `signal when the automatic breaking means function.

18. In an apparatus of the character described, a lighting xtureincluding a lamp, a container predetermined temperature for breaking theholding a re quenching medium and having automatic means for'relasingthe fire quenching medium when these means are subjected to apredetermined temperature, said container constructed and arranged sothat the heat of the lamp heats the air between the lamp and thecontainer thereby creating currents of air in a room so that in case offire the heated air from the fire travels to the lighting fixture andbefore it is heated by the source of light is made to flow past theautomatic means of the fire extinguisher, thereby causing the automaticmeans to function more promptly than it would if the said means wereinstalled separately from the lighting xture.

19.' In a re extinguisher, a fixture capable of supporting a lamp, anarcuate container holding a fire extinguishing fluid mountedon thefixture and constructed and arranged so that the said container alsoforms a part of the light globe, and means Yto automatically release thefluid When the temperature of the room in which the xture is mountedreaches a predetermined degree.

20. The combination of a lighting fixture having an illuminatingelement, a container holding a liquid re quenching medium, and automaticmeans for releasing the liquid fire quenching medium at a predeterminedtemperature in the event of re, the said container constructed andarranged for part of the light used for direct illumination to firstpass through said container and its liquid and also constructed andarranged to form an air passage between the illuminating element and thecontainer, and the said automatic means placed below and adjacent thecontainer so that when the air between the illuminating element andcontainer is heated by the illuminating element it causes the airsurrounding the automatic means to flow through the said air passagebetween the illuminating element and the container.

21. In a lighting fixture, a container holding a fire extinguishermedium surrounding the illuminating element of the lighting fixtureconstructed and arranged to serve as part of the globe of the lightingfixture, and automatic means for releasing the re extinguishing mediumat a predetermined temperature in the event of re, the container andautomatic means being embodied in the artistic design of the fixture.

22. The combination of a lighting xture, a

glass container holding a liquid flre quenching medium and constructedand arranged ,for the passage of a portion of the light used 4for directillumination through the container, and also constructed and arranged toform an air passage between said illuminating element of the lightingfixture and the said container, andautomatic mechanism responsive to apredetermined temperature to break the container and release the requenching medium, said automatic mechanism having its operating means inthe air before said air enters the passage between the illuminatingelement and the glass container.

23. In a combination of a lighting iixture, an illuminating element, anda glass container holding a liquid fire quenching medumso arranged thatall the light used for direct illumination passes through and isrefracted by the liquid lire quenching medium, the glass containerhaving an opening in its lower part so that all the air to be heated bythe illuminating element passes through this opening, and automaticoperating members responsive to a predetermined temperature forreleasing the re quenching medium and so placed that the air to beheated by the illuminating element first passes around the saidautomatic operating members.

24. In an apparatus of the class described, a lighting fixture, anarcuate fragile container holding a fire extinguisher medium constructedand arranged to perform the combined functions of a container and alight globe and automatic means responsive to a predeterminedtemperature to fracture the container and release the fire extinguishermedium in the event of fire, said container and automatic means beingembodied in the artistic design of the fixture and being a necessarypart of such design.

25. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of alighting xture having a lamp, a fragile light transmitting containerholding a re quenching medium, said container be- ,f

ing constructed and arranged to serve also as the globe for the lamp,and automatic means responsive to a predetermined temperature tofracture the container and release the fire quenching medium.

26. A lighting fixture having an airtight container holding therein a requenching medium, the container being so constructed and arranged as toform a necessary part of the lighting fixture, and automatic meansresponsive to a predetermined temperature for releasing the firequenching medium in the event of flre.

' LOUIS C. LOEWENSTEIN.

